Spinach is a versatile vegetable that can be added into all different types of diets and can be incorporated into low-carb recipes due to its low calorie, high fiber content.
Spinach can be used to add volume, colour, texture, vitamins and minerals to all meal types and can be cooked or eaten raw for added nutrient content to a meal.
There are 3 different types of spinach each of which have several varieties within its class varying in size and shape.
Savoy Spinach: dark, green, crinkly and curly leaves.
Flat / Smooth Lead Spinach: easier to clean and grown for canned and frozen spinach
Semi-Savoy: slightly crinkled leaves and grown for fresh market and processing
Different types of spinach lend themselves favorably to different types of climates, therefore fresh spinach is available all year long.
Health benefits of spinach…
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Contains multiple vitamins and minerals making it highly nutritious
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Excellent source of fiber, Vitamins K, A & C and folate
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Good source of vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium and iron
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Contains chlorophyll which can block carcinogenic effects of byproducts generated when grilling foods at a high temperatures
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One of the non-animal courses of iron
Ways to prepare spinach…
Rinse repeatedly in cold water to remove all traces of grit from the leaves. Spinach works best with steaming and sautéing. Spinach can also be used raw in green salad or an ingredient in smoothies. Get creative and use spinach as a replacement for bread when making wraps to combine with scrambled eggs. Chop it and add to soups and casseroles to increase fiber and protein content of the meal.
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1 cup raw spinach, ½ cup cooked spinach = 7 calories, 1g carbohydrate
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Most of the carbohydrates come from fiber
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1 cup cooked spinach = ½ day intake of vitamin A, 5% daily iron needs
For more recipe suggestions and a balanced nutrition plan email us – kmjgroupfitness@hotmail.com or check out www.morlife.com for their alkalising greens.
